From early position, Jason Mercier raised to 450. He was called by the player in the hijack seat and another player in the big blind. The player in the big blind then checked in the dark before the flop came down . Mercier fired out a continuation bet of 550. The hijack seat called right away and the big blind folded just as quick.
The turn added the to the board and completed a possible spade draw. Mercier tapped the table over to his opponent, who quickly checked behind.
The river completed the board with the and Mercier fired 1,200. His opponent instantly paid the price and was shown the from Mercier's holecards. His opponent mucked and Mercier is up to 6,700 in chips.
It hasn't been an easy day for Mercier. Well, maybe it's been an easy day of folding. He only got up to 3,500 at his high point before being moved into the Shadow Bar room upstairs in the back. He's almost doubled his stack since and things are looking like they're heading in the right direction.
Every time I scour the tables, Partik Ghatge always seems to have cards in front of him. On this occasion, he'd flat-called a raise from the big blind, before checking the flop. UTG continuation bet for 750, triggering a check-raise to 1,7500 from Ghatge, which was enough to pick up the pot.
Ghatge is currently on 18,500 with the average at 9,900, so perhaps someone to watch.
Ramsey Ajram raised to 400 and was called by his friend, but also opponent, Antonio Esfandiari before the flop came down . Ajram bet out 500 and Esfandiari called.
The turn came the and Ajram fired 1,300. Esfandiari called again.
The river completed the board with the and Ajram fired 3,400. Esfandiari thought for a moment and then mucked his hand, dropping back to 11,000. Ajram increased to 31,000.
Martin Andreas-Hansen raised to 775 from the cutoff seat. Antonio Esfandiari was in the big blind and just recently moved to this table. He wasn't about to give up an early opportunity to fight back from the big blind and fired a three-bet to 2,200. Andreas-Hansen thought for a few moments and then mucked his hand. Esfandiari is up to about 13,000.
Martin Kabrhel opened to 425 preflop and Kevin Williams made the call.
The flop was , Williams checked then raised all-in after Kabrhel bet 750 and the Czech Full Tilt pro instantly called with .
Williams showed a powerful but needing to hit , the turn helped neither player but the river was the to complete the flush and Williams moves up to 17,500 while Kabrhel is out.
Roland Isra was at it again. He raised all in over the top of a bet of 1,175 from an opponent. When Isra made the move, the board read . The player tanked for a bit and then called off all of his chips. Isra turned a flush with the and needed to dodge a board pair against his opponent's .
The river completed the board with the and Isra won the pot. He eliminated the other player en route to about 19,000 in chips.
With just two tables remaining, there's not too much happening on the upper deck of the Empire. Early pace-setter Matt Nieberg has taken his foot off the gas a tad, but he still boasts more than double the average with 19,000.
His last encounter saw him open from UTG+1 to 550, before being called by the button. He then followed up with a continuation bet of 825 on the flop, but folded to his opponent's raise to 2,900.
The button went to show, but seemed to change his mind. "You were going to show me then," pointed out Nieberg, which triggered his opponent to reach across the felt and flip a .
He didn't seem too fussed as to which one he turned over, so it didn't take Columbo to figure out that he'd flopped a set.
JP Kelly opened to 450 from early position but the big blind moved all-in for just over 3,000. Kelly called fairly speedily but was crestfallen to see his dominated badly by the big blind's .
The was a sweat on the flop but the turn and river were blanks that could provide the Englishman with the miracle outdraw he needed.
. Mercier fired out a continuation bet of 550. The hijack seat called right away and the big blind folded just as quick.
to the board and completed a possible spade draw. Mercier tapped the table over to his opponent, who quickly checked behind.
and Mercier fired 1,200. His opponent instantly paid the price and was shown the 
from Mercier's holecards. His opponent mucked and Mercier is up to 6,700 in chips.![[user4144]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
flop. UTG continuation bet for 750, triggering a check-raise to 1,7500 from Ghatge, which was enough to pick up the pot.
and Ajram fired 3,400. Esfandiari thought for a moment and then mucked his hand, dropping back to 11,000. Ajram increased to 31,000.
, Williams checked then raised all-in after Kabrhel bet 750 and the Czech Full Tilt pro instantly called with 
.
turn helped neither player but the river was the 
to complete the flush and Williams moves up to 17,500 while Kabrhel is out.
and needed to dodge a board pair against his opponent's 
.
and Isra won the pot. He eliminated the other player en route to about 19,000 in chips.
connected rather better than her opponent's 
on a 
board. She's up to 7,300.